ANATOMY OF A COIN

Here is the quick Dummy guide to understanding the proper terms related to coin anatomy.

Obverse and Reverse - Understanding the difference between "heads" and "tails".

Obverse

The side of the coin that generally shows the Coat of Arms, President’s or Monarch’s bust. The obverse side is referred to as heads and is the front of the coin. Generally the date side.

Reverse

The opposite side to obverse or tails side, of a coin. Generally the opposite of the date side.

Motto

An inscription or phrase on a coin. An example is the word "EENDRAG MAAK MAG" or "UNITY IS STRENGTH" on some South African coins. The Motto has a special meaning and can be emotional or inspiring.

Field

The flat area of a coin between the legend and the design. There is no design on this portion of the coin. In some cases, these can have a slight curve.

Rim

The upraised area around the edges of both sides(obverse and reverse) of a coin. The purpose of the rim is to make coins easy stackable, protects the coin's design from damage and helps bring up the devices during the strike process.

Portrait

The most important part of the coin is the portrait or bust of an important person(King, Queen, President). Portrait in this example is of Jan van Riebeeck. He was a Dutch colonial administrator and the founder of Cape Town in South Africa.

Edge

The third side of a coin. It may be plain, reeded, or ornamented – with lettering or other elements raised or incused. The edge is the actual side of the coin and should never be confused with the rim.

Date

The numerals on a coin representing the year in which it was minted, for example, 1961

Legend

A phrase that appears on a coin – for instance, SOUTH AFRICA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, etc. The legend is also referred to as the Inscription. The legend tells us important things, such as who made the coin or how much it is worth

Designer

The individual is responsible for a particular motif used for a numismatic series. The initials of the designer are normally found on the coin just below the portrait. The initials, CLS, on the example, stands for Coert Steynberg.